— What is the history of Castello Di Vicarello?

Aurora: “When we bought the castello in the late seventies it was an absolute ruin. We came here permanently in ’98 and opened in 2003. Before, we lived in Indonesia. When we came back to Italy, we lived in Milano for three years. Then we decided to change our life radically and here we are.”

— Castello di Vicarello

— What is your philosophy at Castello Di Vicarello?

Aurora: “We are who we are. We did this place because we fell in love with it. We put all our energy into it, our past life, our experiences. The approach to the guests is easygoing, not formal. We like guests to feel at home although we don’t like people to go around naked! Basically, we want people to feel at home, relaxed and happy.”

— Villa Chiesina bedroom

— What’s the secret of being a good host to your guests?

Aurora: “It’s never easy to do things to a very high standard. You always have to keep an eye open, if not two. To give more service and become better every day is a lot of work. You have to be used to having people around; you always have to be aware of their needs.”

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— The interior design of Castello di Vicarello is really beautiful. Were you responsible for the interior design?

Aurora: “Yes, my husband and I did everything with the furniture that we had. It’s like my home. We put in what we like and when we feel a room is okay for us then I think it’s fine for our guests.”

— Suite Vicario

— Clearly the kitchen plays an important role in the house.

Aurora: “I think so, yes. The kitchen is like the kitchen of a house, not the kitchen of a restaurant. Everybody passes through the kitchen. We have an organic garden and every day we change the menu according to what we have in season. Everybody can see the preparation, it’s nothing secret.

We even offer cooking classes at the castello if guests want to and are about to publish a cook book with our recipes as well.”

— Castello di Vicarello kitchen

— The rooms are all different at Castello di Vicarello. Do you have a favourite one?

Aurora: “I think the Suite I Sassi is fantastic. Sassi has the most stunning view. It depends on the season though, because if you ask me at the beginning and the end of the season, Vicaria is wonderful. It has a wonderful fireplace so when it starts to get cool at night it’s nice to be in front of the fireplace. There’s also the Villa Chiesina. I lived there for two years before moving up to the main building and I left my heart there. It’s a very, very happy house. You go out and you’re absolutely in the middle of nature so it’s very beautiful.”

— Castello di Vicarello is also a working farm, you are producing your own wine and olive oil.

Aurora: “Yes, absolutely. The vineyards lie at the heart of the rolling landscape close to Castello di Vicarello. Though the vineyards are still relatively new, our two organic red wines have already won several plaudits from specialist publications.

The olive oil that we are producing here is also one of the most sought-after in Tuscany. We have century old olive trees surrounding the property and guests can actually participate in the harvest between the end of October and the beginning of November. It is a true Tuscan experience.”

— Castello di Vicarello gardens

— What are the garden and the swimming pool like?

Aurora: “At Castello di Vicarello, we have two swimming pools that are chlorine-free. One is a travertine infinity pool and the other one is lined with mosaic tiles and hidden among olive trees close to the vegetable garden. I think it’s perfect because you’re never on top of each other. As for the gardens, there’s a lot of space. You can walk for an hour through the forest to the river. You can visit the vineyards or walk to the next village or if you want, you can just relax in the garden among the thousands of bushes of red, white, pink and yellow roses, the lavender and the rosemary.”

— Castello di Vicarello pool

— What about the spa which is a special feature of Castello Di Vicarello?

Aurora: “The spa is a very nice modern building made of wood and glass overlooking a fantastic panorama. We have yoga masters and Ayurvedic masseurs come in for the season. On request we also have reflexology therapy. The concept is that everything we give is authentic. It’s not a masseuse who did a one week Ayurvedic course and now thinks she will be able to do Ayurvedic massage; it’s a real Ayurvedic masseur who spent 10 years in Kerala and she comes back every year. The same with the yoga master who spent ten years in the Ashram of Sai Baba so he’s a very good connoisseur of yoga.”

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— You also have a wedding licence at Castello di Vicarello?

Aurora: “Yes, we do. And we can also take care of the planning, the food, and help with music, flower arrangements, table settings, tents and any of the other details to compliment the special day. We can do the civil ceremony on the property, or for a catholic ceremony we can provide details regarding nearby churches.”

— Suite Giardino

— Tell us about the area around Maremma. What is there to do and see?

Aurora: “We’re very close to the sea. You can see it in the distance, and this is the wildest part of Tuscany... it’s the most beautiful part of Tuscany. It’s quite spread out so there are no houses close to each other. You’re surrounded by nature.

If you’ve never been to Siena you should go. There is the national park by the sea. You can visit Orbetello, Porto Ercole... there are many places, it’s just a question of how far you want to go.”

— Suite La Grotta

— How would you like your guests to remember their stay?

Aurora: “Well of course I want them to be very happy at Castello di Vicarello and to give good feedback to us! We have books full of the beautiful things that they write.”

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— Thank you, Aurora!

Please check directly with the owner for special arrangements or information not listed here.

Double bedroom with a wonderful Chinese bed from Madura island. The room is set on two levels, and is located off the courtyard of the castle. There are windows with views overlooking the valley. Room features include a fireplace, minibar and coffe/tea making facilities.

A cozy double room hidden amongst the castle's gardens and olive trees. With two large double beds this room is also perfect for friends. Can be rented with Suite Villa Chiesina to create Villa Chiesina. Room features include a fireplace, minibar, small private terrace and coffe/tea making facilities.

A small private secret garden with views of the Tuscan hills, a terracotta wood-fired stove, beautiful old leather armchairs, this suite offers both comfort and style. Set off the castle's courtyard this suite is a warm and romantic destination. Room features include a fireplace, minibar, small private garden and coffe/tea making facilities.

An eclectic and tasteful mix of Italian designs from the 50s and 70s combined with Indonesian art brings a unique life to this beautiful suite. Set off the castle's courtyard the room offers lovely views of the countryside and a very homey feel. Room features include a fireplace, minibar, outdoor pergola and coffe/tea making facilities.

This large suite, full of light, offers incredible views of the Tuscan hills. Vicario includes a large fireplace, a beautiful Indonesian daybed, and an interesting mix of furniture and designs from around the world. A truly enjoyable and relaxing suite. Room features include a fireplace, minibar and coffe/tea making facilities.

Surrounded by windows, this suite offers extraordinary views of the Tuscan hills all the way down to the sea. With coral walls and cozy furniture, this suite has a real Mediterranean feel. It is the perfect place to relax and immerse yourself with nature. Wonderful nest for honeymooners. Room features include a fireplace, minibar and coffe/tea making facilities.

A large two-story cottage amongst gardens and near the infinity swimming pool. The views of the Tuscan countryside are incredible and there is even a full kitchen where one can cook. The perfect retreat for someone seeking privacy and relaxation. Room features include a fireplace, a panoramic terrace, outside dining area, BBQ, minibar and coffe/tea making facilities.

Aurora and Carlo Baccheschi Berti are the couple behind this restoration: Carlo used to be a fashion agent and has stories of utter fabulousness. Like the hotel version of Galliano, their project is the most gossiped-about place this year. Some people love it so much that their cup runneth over. It’s where Mario Testino comes to photograph Lara Stone, and Nicolas Ghesquière and Colin Firth are regulars. Others find it dark and heavy, and wildly expensive with erratic service. What you can’t deny are the views. And it is terribly romantic – a12th-century castle that feels a million miles away from the Chiantishire brigade. (...)
And then there’s the food. Aurora published a cookbook recently with Rizzoli; you can see why they snapped her up. It’s Italian at its simplest and best: fried zucchini flowers, tomato ravioli and a minestrone thick with beans from the garden, finished with a dollop of pesto. The surrounding vineyards are all Carlo’s work (...).

Vicarello is a fairy-tale castle: Through the archway is a medieval courtyard, with grass poking through cobblestones. On one side is the vast (and vastly famous) barrel-vaulted kitchen where Aurora gives her (vastly famous) cooking lessons; on the other is our two-room suite, Giardino, with its own little terrace. (There are only seven rooms: 20 guests maximum.) I just have time to see that the decor is a wonderful mix of medieval, Indonesian, mid-century Milano, and a little bit of the American Southwest (horns for hat stands) before I am whisked to the spa for the first of many yoga lessons and Ayurvedic massages. (...)
The powerful absence of man-made noise makes you strain to hear the earth breathing. We go to dinner, which is (a) delicate and delicious and (b) more like a house party than a meal at a hotel, eaten communally in the glass-walled dining room off the kitchen. (Or sometimes across the courtyard in a room with a great fire.)

Vicarello’s vineyards are the first thing I see when my taxi driver finishes our steep ascent through the cypress-covered mountains and along the final stretch of unpaved road. The castle, its walls honey-colored in the late-afternoon sunlight, rises above. I walk up the steps and under an arch. Aurora — a small, slim woman with an aristocratic silver bob and a lovely way of tilting her head back when she laughs — greets me in the small courtyard (...).
Still, the highlight of my stay at Vicarello isn’t at the castle, nor is it in the beautiful but touristy town of Montalcino, where Aurora drives me in her Range Rover on a Brunello di Montalcino pilgrimage. Instead, I have my best experience at Vicarello’s wild-boar-hunting reserve — Carlo’s most recent obsession. Hunting is often a moral issue in America, but to the Bertis, it’s simply a traditional way to procure food. Having eaten my fill of Vicarello’s wild-boar sausage, I’m curious to see where it originates.

It’s clear from the moment you walk through an arch in the thick medieval walls to find a courtyard lit up with candles and overhung with vines, that Castello di Vicarello is going to be something special. Set on a hill overlooking the wild Maremma country of southern Tuscany, it provides the truest and most elusive of all luxuries: a place in which to slow down, relax and absorb your surroundings.
An 11th-century castle that's been lovingly restored by the present owners over a period of 30 years, there are six glamorous suites and one villa. Each room reflects the extensive travels around the world of owners Aurora and Carlo, and African artefacts sit alongside Italian modern design classics in rooms that are large, gabled and sensitively restored to their original form using natural, local materials. Every detail speaks of a personal touch, with the suites being particularly individual – the very opposite of corporate hotel culture (...).

Set in a relatively undiscovered part of Italy, the 12th-century Italian castle is surrounded by organic vineyards. Guests can take a “training walk” around the grounds and learn about the winery’s production techniques. After the walk, you’ll taste three wines: Castello di Vicarello, Terre di Vico, and Brunello di Montalcino. Castello also presses and bottles its own olive oil. Relaxation also tempts in the form of Ayurvedic and shiatsu massages, the Turkish bath, and sauna. At the end of the day, wind down with house wine and Tuscan fare cooked using the finest local and on-premises ingredients possible. Tours in the area of nearby Montalcino (45 minutes by car) can be arranged to see the production of Brunello wine. Nearby Tuscan villages worth a visit include Pienza, Vignoni, and Montepulciano.